SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - The World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 will kick off on March 6 at offline venues including a concert hall and a franchise movie theater, kicking off the annual AI film festival in the Asia region and highlighting South Korea’s growing presence in AI-driven content creation.
The two-day event, running through March 7, is part of the World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026)’s expanding global network founded by Institut EuropIA under the leadership of former Apple executive Marco Landi. Since its inaugural launch in Nice, France, in 2025, the festival has positioned itself as an international platform dedicated to exploring the artistic and industrial convergence of artificial intelligence and cinema.
More than 27 million won ($18,775.4) in prize money will be awarded across six competitive categories. The Best AI Film prize carries 10 million won for first place, 5 million won for second place and 3 million won for third place. Additional honors include Best AI Screenplay, Best AI Soundtrack, Best AI Micro Series and Best AI AD, each accompanied by a 2 million won award, while Best Youth AI Film carries a 1 million won prize. Selected winners may also be invited to screen at the main World AI Film Festival event in Cannes in April 2026.
An 11-member jury representing film, animation, media and global cultural industries will evaluate the competition. Daniel Son, founder and chief executive of visual effects studio Westworld, will serve as jury president. A veteran VFX supervisor whose credits include "Exhuma," "All of Us Are Dead" and "Sweet Home Season 1," Son has received major honors at the Asian Film Awards and the Grand Bell Awards.
Animation pioneer Nelson Shin, known for his work on "The Pink Panther," "Bugs Bunny," "Daffy Duck," 'The Simpsons" and the original lightsaber effects for Star Wars, joins the panel alongside supervising editor Nayoung Nam, whose credits include Squid Game and Along with the Gods.
The jury also features Nigerian producer and cultural entrepreneur Bolanle Austen-Peters; director Jang Hang-jun, known for Forgotten, Rebound and The King’s Warden; and Cine21 chief executive Chang Young-youp, bringing together expertise spanning animation, global streaming production, filmmaking and film journalism. The festival was co-founded by Ngo Thi Bich Hanh and David Defendi.
A total of 30 nominations have been confirmed across six prize categories: "Best AI Short Film," "Best AI Youth Film," "Best AI Micro Series," "Best AI AD," "Best AI Screenplay" and "Best AI Soundtrack."
Several titles received multiple nominations. "Losing, Dog," "Octopus & Me," "Ticket to Neverland," "Little Wings" and "The Gate of Yokai" earned dual nominations, underscoring their cross-category strength.
Beyond the competition, WAIFF Seoul 2026 will host a Pro Talks program addressing generative AI production workflows, intellectual property governance and ethical standards in AI-assisted filmmaking. Organizers say the Seoul edition aims to serve not only as a showcase of emerging AI cinema, but also as a forum shaping the creative and regulatory frameworks of the industry’s future.
The festival will open at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) on March 6 at Lotte Concert Hall. Tickets are currently available through the official ticketing platform Event Us, with sales closing at 1 p.m. on March 2.
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